Racist or Not, Harry Reid in HUGE Trouble

Senate Majority leader Harry Reid apologized today for, private conversation during the campaign, in which Reid, while attempting to speak favorably of Obama, reportedly said the nation was ready for a black President, especially one who is “light-skinned” and has “no Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one.”

I deeply regret using such a poor choice of words. I sincerely apologize for offending any and all Americans, especially African Americans for my improper comments,” Reid stated, before highlighting his support for Obama, efforts to integrate the Strip and promote diversity in the Senate.

“I accepted Harry’s apology without question because I’ve known him for years, I’ve seen the passionate leadership he’s shown on issues of social justice and I know what’s in his heart. As far as I am concerned, the book is closed.”

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Reid’s unfortunate remarks are the least of his problems, the Senate leader charged with pushing through Obama’s agenda, represents a state that is not happy with Obama’s agenda. According to latest polls Reid is in HUGE trouble more than half of Nevadans give him an unfavorable job rating. And people are speculating that he may join his friend Chris Dodd as a “senior citizen who has become a victim of Obamacare.”

In response, Reid told the Review-Journal Friday he wouldn’t consider stepping aside as did Sen. Chris Dodd of Connecticut, whose announcement this week prompted rumors that the Senate majority leader might think about ending his political career now that he’s the most vulnerable incumbent.

“I am absolutely running for re-election,” said Reid, 70, in a statement. “These are difficult times for Nevada and as the majority leader of the Senate I have been able to take action to address those challenges. But I know there is more work to do to turn our state’s economy around and create jobs and I am committed to seeing it through.”

Most independent political analysts firmly discounted the idea that Reid would quit the race, despite poll after poll showing him in a losing battle with potential Republican opponents, who surveys suggest would beat him if the election were held today.

Instead, it looks like Reid the former boxer will duke it out to the end in the political fight of his life, wounded by his leadership on health care reform, the dismal economy and an anti-government and anti-incumbent fervor that’s put the in-power Democratic Party on the defensive nationally.

“Is Harry in trouble? Certainly. Is he out of the game? No,” said Mark Peplowski, a political science professor at the College of Southern Nevada. “I see it coming down to the fourth quarter. And everybody says the fourth quarter is where the best game is played.”

That’s what the Reid camp is counting on. The November election is 10 months out, which may give the senator’s expected $25 million-fueled campaign time to sell him to Nevadans again — and time to tear apart his GOP opponent once a contender emerges from the crowded field in the June primary.

”He’s never backed down from a fight,” Reid campaign manager Brandon Hall said in an interview when asked whether Reid would retire instead of seeking a fifth Senate term. He added, ”We’re not trying to win a beauty contest here.”

Reid’s numbers are pretty ugly, according to the latest survey by Mason-Dixon Polling & Research, which interviewed 625 registered Nevada voters by telephone Jan. 5-7. The margin of error on the poll is plus or minus 4 percentage points.

52 percent had an unfavorable opinion of Reid, 33 percent had a favorable view and another 15 percent said they’re neutral. Kind of makes one wonder where in the world have that 33% been.

The poll also took a snapshot of how Reid would do against three potential GOP opponents. In each case — as in past Review-Journal surveys — it showed the senator would lose with only four in 10 voters supporting him. The potential match-ups would look like this:

Sue Lowden, former Nevada Republican Party chairwoman, would get 50 percent of the vote to Reid’s 40 percent with 10 percent undecided.

Danny Tarkanian, a businessman and former UNLV basketball star, would gain 49 percent of the vote to Reid’s 41 percent.

And Sharron Angle, a former Reno assemblywoman, would get 45 percent of the vote to Reid’s 40 percent, a strong showing given her low name recognition statewide — 42 percent don’t know her

You know a candidate is in trouble when you lose to someone that no one has heard of. Sounds like he would also lose to keeping the seat open for six years:

Brian Walsh of the National Republican Senatorial Committee wondered after Dodd bowed out whether the White House would push Reid to ”consider an early retirement instead of facing a forced retirement in November.”

The White House on Friday dismissed the notion, jumping to Reid’s defense.”As Senate majority leader, Harry Reid fights for Nevadans every day through his efforts on behalf of homeowners, by ending Yucca Mountain, and by protecting tens of thousands of Nevada jobs through the Recovery Act,” said White House spokesman Adam Abrams. “He is spearheading the historic effort to finally make sure that all Americans can get affordable health care coverage and by partnering with the president, Harry Reid is creating Nevada jobs — leading the way toward a clean energy future for all Americans.”

Still, Coker, the Mason-Dixon pollster, said he believes Reid has ”caught Daschle disease,” a reference to the former South Dakota senator and Democratic leader who lost re-election in 2004.

“Now that he’s taken over as Senate majority leader, he has to be the spokesman for the (Democratic) cause, and that’s a little left of where Nevadans are,” Coker said. “If anything, he’s gone further to the left rather than pull Democrats to the center.”

Coker said the issues that have pulled the Democrats to the left include health care reform and financial institution bailouts, which have angered voters who can’t pay their own bills.

Coker is among the few political analysts who believe it’s possible that Reid retires.

“I have a theory that one of the reasons Reid’s behaving the way he’s behaving is he’s going to bail out,” Coker said. “He’s trying to get everything he can get done done. I think he’s going to spend the next year trying to get anything and everything through regardless of the consequences.”

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